Pre-formed clip bow ties

ABSTRACT

A pre-formed bow tie comprises the usual bow shaped elements which are interconnected at their constricted, reduced width, centers, by a locking band wrapped therearound. The band is covered by fabric. The band also includes a spring controlled vertically swingable lever arm by means of which the pre-formed bow ties may be releasably secured to the neckband of a shirt without being connected to the collar of the shirt. The neckband may be that of a turtle neck shirt as well as the conventional collared shirt. The locking band is improved by insuring that when it is wrapped around the bow centers, it will bend in a predetermined fashion in order to avoid random bending and consequent often less desirable finished products. This is accomplished by providing side guards or ridges along selected portions of the locking band to insure desired bending thereof in the production of the bow ties.

O United States Patent [191 [111 3,777,312

Najarian [4 Dec. 11, 1973 PRE-FORMED CLIP BOW TIES Primary Examiner-Richard J. Scanlan, Jr, 75] Inventor: John Najarian, Cresskill, NJ. Stephen Bake [73] Assignee: France Neckwear Co. Inc., New 57] ABSTRACT York A pre-formed bow tie comprises the usual bow shaped [22] Filed; June 14, 1973 elements which are interconnected at their constricted, reduced width, centers, by a locking band [21] Appl 370151 wrapped therearound. The band is covered by fabric. Related US, Application D t The band also includes a spring controlled vertically [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 320,976, Jan. 4, Swmgable leve r arm by means of which the 1973' formed bow ties may be releasably secured to the neckband of a shirt without being connected to the [52] US. Cl. 2/154 collar of the shirt The neckband y he that of [51] lnt.Cl A4ld 25/08 tle heck Shirt as as the Conventional Collared [58] Field of Search....., 2/151, 154, 152 R, Shirt- The locking band is improved y insuring that 2/152 A when it is wrapped around the bow centers, it will bend in a predetermined fashion in order to avoid ran- 5 References Cited dom bending and consequent often less desirable fin- UNITED STATES PATENTS ished products. This is accomplished by providing side guards or ridges along selected portions of the locking 3 1 5: band to insure desired bending thereof in the produc- 3:336:600 8/1967 Kanter et al. 2/153 the 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures gmmmna: 1 1 1915 3777.312

SHEET 2 OF 2 PRE-FORMED CLIP BOW TIES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is a continuation in part of my prior application Ser. No. 320,976, filed Jan. 4, 1973.

In that application I disclosed a pre-formed, clip type of bow tie which is connectable to the neckband of a shirt. The bow tie was assembled by first employing front and back bow elements which were interconnected by a centrally disposed wraparound band. The band incorporated the clip or clamp which made the neckband connection of the finished tie possible.

However, notwithstanding the desirability and efficacy of the above-mentioned bow tie, it often happened that unskilled operators incorrectly wrapped or bent the wraparound band around the bow elements. While this nevertheless produced a usable bow tie, optimum results were not achieved when the incorporated clip or clamp was at a relatively undesirable level.

I then determined that the clip should be uniformly, and in a pre-determined fashion, disposed at a sufficiently low level so as not to be detectable as a clip bow tie. This is important because for possibly psychological reasons, an apparently hand-tied bow tie is considered more desirable than an obviously pre-formed bow tie.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a pre-formed bow tie which closely simulates a hand tied bow tie as tied by the wearer. More specifically, the construction of thebow tie includes a wraparound band which not only centrally encircles the bow shaped elements, but also bears a clamp by means of which the tie may be releasably secured to the neckband of a shirt. Formerly, the wraparound band was often poorly applied by unskilled operators with the result that the clamp was positioned at an undesirable level, often exposing the existence of the clamp to an observer which revealed the bow ties to be of the preformed type.

According to this invention, the wraparound band is so constructed that the clamp always is positioned lower so that the bow tie, when worn, appears to be a hand tied bow tie because the clamp cannot be seen. I achieve this desired result by forming the metal wraparound band with the centrally disposed opening or slot designed to receive the clamp arm therethrough during the application of the band. This opening or slot, is however, bounded by integral ridges which essentially predetermine the manner in which the opening or slot portion of the wraparound band will bend when it is applied. These ridges are disposed below the top end of the opening or slot so that said slot will almost automatically be bent abovev the ridges. This insures that the clamp will be properly levelled. v

The above and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF. THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the completed bow. tie as applied to a shirt neckband;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view as viewed along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but with the clamp arm in the raised, non-clamping position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged, rear elevational view of the completed bow tie as viewed along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the wraparound band before it is encircled around the bow shaped elements;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view as viewed along the ling 7-7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the wraparound band as viewed along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the pre-formed or pre-tied bow tie which is illustrated as attached to the collar 11 through its neckband 12. As for the construction of the front and back bow shaped elements 13 and 14 of the bow tie 10, these are conventional and are not claimed herein. As is conventional, they comprise two separate members 13 and 14, both being constricted or reduced in width at their centers. They are interconnected by my novel, central locking band 15 which is shown before being applied to the bow tie in FIGS. 6 8.

Referring first to FIGS. 6 8, the locking band 15 which is to encircle and be centrally secured around the bow shaped elements 13 and 14, is preferably, but not necessarily, formed of thin flat brass material which is malleable so that it can be easily formed or bent as will hereinafter be described. In a typical satisfactory embodiment, band 15 was about three inches in length and about one-half inch at its widest portion.

Central locking band 15 includes an elongated tongue 16 at one end thereof, and a horizontal, tongue receiving slot 17 at the other end thereof. It is also formed with an axial, substantially centrally disposed slot 18 which -accomodates the upper. or top end of the clampingdevice which will hereinafterbe described.

Although aprincipal function of central band 15 is to encircle the center of the bow shaped'elements l3 and 14 and lock them together as will'hereinafter be described, an equally important function is its support of the beckband clamping means. Such clamping means comprises the metal clamp arm 20, the top end 21 of which penetrates the central slot 18 as shown in FIGS. 6 8. The said top end 21 is the non-clamping end and is curled around after it penetrates slot 18 as shown in FIG. 7. At its extreme top end it is formed with side extensions 23 for facilitating its being grasped by the spring means to be hereinafter described.

The spring means and indeed the clamp arm 20 are not per se novel except in combination with the central band 15, and except insofar as they cooperate with the bow tie to permit its application to the shirtcollar by a neckband clamp for the advantages hereinbefore set forth.

Clamp arm 20, as will hereinafter be made clear, is swingable vertically from a raised, non-clamping position shown in FIG. 3, to a downward, clamping position shown in FIG. 2 where it clamps the neckband 12 against the horizontal abutment pin 25. Abutment pin 25 is stated to be horizontal because that is the position it assumes when the bow tie is worn.

Referring again to FIGS. 6 8, the abutment pin 25 is connected as by a rivet 26 to the clamp arm side of central band 15. The same rivet 26 may connect one end of the spring means to the other side of band 15. Thus, the spring means comprises a resilient metal arm 27 which extends toward central slot 18. Arm 27 has two parallel slits 28 so as to form the resilient leg 29. The free end of leg 29 engages the top end 21 of clamp arm 20, in combination with the spaced knuckles 31 and 32 which are formed at the free end of metal arm 27 on adjacent sides of leg 29, so as to engage the side extensions 23. As above stated, the clamping device per se is not novel, being shown for example in U.S.

Pat. No. 3,336,600.

An important factor in the central band is the presence of integral, elongated ridges or ribs 35 on opposite sides of the central slot opening 18 and extending parallel or axially therewith and somewhat further than the slot opening 18 in the direction of tongue receiving slot 17.

On the other hand, and what is most important, is that the ribs 35 do not reach the upper end 36 of slot opening 18, as best illustrated in FIGS. 6 or 8. By thus providing ribs 35 which do not reach the upper end 36 of slot opening 18, the application of band 15 to the bow shaped elements 13, as more fully described hereinafter, results in the specific bending of the band 15, in the vicinity of opening 18, along a line between the upper ends of ribs 35, and upper end 36. Accordingly, the band 15 assumes a pre-determined, correct bend, rather than such a random bend as would mis-place the clamp arm 20. The pre-determined bending line is accomplished by the specific disposition of the ribs 35.

In assembling the bow tie, the bow shaped elements 13 and 14 are placed against each other and band 15 is caused to encircle the central constricted ends of said elements. Tongue 16 is inserted through slot 17 and drawn somewhat-tight, whereupon the extreme end of tongue 16 is bent over as shown in FIG. 2 and 3, so as to lock the bow shaped elements together. At the same time, the clamp arm together with abutment pin clamp arm 20 will not be visually detectable or discernible when the bow tie is worn, and thereby will not expose the fact that the tie is of the clip-on type rather than of the hand-tied type.

Of course, it would be aesthetically undesirable to leave the metal central band 15 exposed. Accordingly, a wrap-around fabric outer band 40 is sewn around metal band 15, while any kind of a slit in fabric band 40 will permit the clamp arm 20 to extend through band 40, while another such slit permits the abutment pin 25 to extend through band 40, all as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions may be made therein without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

1. A pre-formed bow tie comprising bow shaped elements, a central band on said elements, an abutment pin connected to said band and whereby said pin extends horizontally in the completed bow tie when in the wearing position, a clamp arm on said band, and spring means connected to said band, said clamp arm being swingable to a raised, non-clamping position, and being also swingable to a downward, clamping position where it is pressed by said spring means against said pin so as to be connected to a shirt neckband, said clamp arm being swingable vertically to either its clamping or its non-clamping position, said central band being tied around and encircling the center of said bow shaped elements, locking elements on said central band for tying said band tightly in its encircling position, said central band being formed with a substantially centrally disposed slot, said clamp arm top end penetrating said centrally disposed slot, said spring means being wholly disposed on one side of said central band, said clamp arm being substantially wholly disposed on the other side of said central band, and ridges formed alongside of said centrally disposed slot and short of the upper end thereof, so that said centrally disposed slot may be bent while encircling said bow shaped elements in a pre-determined position above the level of said ridges.

2.'A pre-formed bow tie according to claim 1, and wherein said clamp arm, when swung to its downward, clamping position, has its top end at a lower level than the top end of said centrally disposed slot.

3. A pre-formed bow tie according to claim 2 and wherein said ridges extend to a higher level than said clamp arm when said clamp arm is in its said downward, clamping position. 

1. A pre-formed bow tie comprising bow shaped elements, a central band on said elements, an abutment pin connected to said band and whereby said pin extends horizontally in the completed bow tie when in the wearing position, a clamp arm on said band, and spring means connected to said band, said clamp arm being swingable to a raised, non-clamping position, and being also swingable to a downward, clamping position where it is pressed by said spring means against said pin so as to be connected to a shirt neckband, said clamp arm being swingable vertically to either its clamping or its non-clamping position, said central band being tied around and encircling the center of said bow shaped elements, locking elements on said central band for tying said band tightly in its encircling position, said central band being formed with a substantially centrally disposed slot, sAid clamp arm top end penetrating said centrally disposed slot, said spring means being wholly disposed on one side of said central band, said clamp arm being substantially wholly disposed on the other side of said central band, and ridges formed alongside of said centrally disposed slot and short of the upper end thereof, so that said centrally disposed slot may be bent while encircling said bow shaped elements in a pre-determined position above the level of said ridges.
 2. A pre-formed bow tie according to claim 1, and wherein said clamp arm, when swung to its downward, clamping position, has its top end at a lower level than the top end of said centrally disposed slot.
 3. A pre-formed bow tie according to claim 2 and wherein said ridges extend to a higher level than said clamp arm when said clamp arm is in its said downward, clamping position. 